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Harvey Belovski, rabbi at Golders Green United Synagogue:

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Passover, the great holiday of liberation starts this weekend and major preparations are underway.听 Yesterday my family hand-baked matzah 鈥� the iconic festival food 鈥� in a friend鈥檚 specially-prepared pizza oven.听 And tonight, my assistant rabbi and I will run a cleanse-your-kitchen session for our community ahead of the festival.

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Although the festival lasts for a week, the focus is on the first two evenings 鈥� known as Seder.听 It鈥檚 a home celebration over dinner at which we tell the tale of the Israelite exodus from Egypt and the beginning of Jewish people-hood.听 It鈥檚 a magical evening that鈥檚 central to Jewish identity.

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We read the story with family and friends, singing familiar songs and eating foods that recall the journey from slavery to freedom.听 There are those brittle matzah crackers to remind us of adversity, bitter vegetables for harsh times and four cups of wine for redemption.听 At our Seder, we wear stick-on beards and use fun props to re-enact the 10 plagues.听 And in my mother-in-law鈥檚 least favourite part of the evening, we even hit each other with spring onions.听 It鈥檚 a multimedia experience with tastes, smells, songs and visuals that bring the ancient story to life.

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The most beloved icon of the Seder is the Cup of Elijah, named for a prophet who will one day announce the arrival of the Messiah.听 Silversmiths and glassblowers have created their versions of Elijah鈥檚 Cup; our current model is a cocktail glass!听 There鈥檚 a moment during the evening when we open the front door and, as it were, invite Elijah in to drink from his Cup, while the children watch.听 Of course, Elijah doesn鈥檛 turn up in person.听 If he went to every home on Seder night, he鈥檇 be very drunk by the end of the evening!听 But Elijah and his Cup are a message of hope as we look to the future 鈥� hope and confidence in a new world, one into which we can welcome the Messiah.

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That moment of redemption has not yet arrived, and we continue to live in a troubled and fragmented world.听 So the Cup of Elijah remains undrunk for now.听 But each of us, on Seder night, and all year, must always be ready to open the door to a brighter future for all humanity.